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Leah Shaw

EDTC605
PLN

With all of the technology surrounding us, it just makes sense for educators to utilize it

by connecting and collaborating with each other in order to enhance classroom teaching and

learning. One way of organizing a number of sites is by creating a Personal Learning Network

(PLN). Whitby (2013) describes a PLN as “a tool that uses social media and technology to

collect, communicate, collaborate and create with connected colleagues anywhere at any time.”

According to Warlick (2009) there are three types of PLNs: synchronous,

semisynchronous, and asynchronous connections. A synchronous connection is one in which a

teacher communicates directly, in real time, with someone else. It could be in the form of a text

message, Facebook chat, etc. A semisynchronous connection is when a teacher communicates

directly to someone (or more than one person), but it doesn’t occur at the same time. This could

be a question sent in an email and a teacher is awaiting a response, or a comment on a Facebook

group and awaiting for feedback. An asynchronous connection is one in which educators use

technology to work for them. An example is subscribing to a particular YouTube channel and

viewing a new video when it’s posted.

For students in my music class it’s important that they are digitally literate and musically

literate. Because music is a very collaborative art, it’s important that students understand how to

navigate sites, communicate in groups and one-on-one, and to upload/download content.

Computer, technology and internet terms a music student should know are:

PM (Personal Messaging): send a message intended for as specific person (or small group) and
not the entire group
Download: copying a file from the internet to put on personal computer
Upload: use a file from personal computer to copy onto the internet
Screenshot: to take a picture of the current screen with a mobile device

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Leah Shaw
EDTC605
PLN

Because the internet is so fast paced users often type in abbreviations. It’s important for

students to recognize some of them for my music class because I use them frequently:

IMO: In my opinion
BTW: By the way
FTW: For the win!
IDK: I don’t know
FYI: For your information
BRB: Be right back

Google translate can be used in a music classroom if students need to define music

terminology or want to translate a foreign language song.

An effective online organizational tool is Pinterest (https://www.pinterest.com). Users

can bookmark, comment and share websites that have relevant information. Because it includes

large pictures and short text, it’s a great tool for visual people. The website also recognizes what

users are clicking on and it will suggest websites for users. Another organizational tool is Diigo

(https://www.diigo.com), an internet bookmarking site. With the ability to highlight text and add

notes, it’s a great source in which to share websites with other users.

An important element of Digital Literacy in music class that I learned from a colleague is

using Google Drive. Students in this particular class use Google Docs for collaborating, Google

Forms for completing teacher surveys, and Google Slides for presentations. It’s a school wide

initiative and a great, user-friendly tool for students in class.

As a music teacher, an important digital literacy for my PLN is uploading/downloading

content and imbedding content into a personal website. Because of the nature of my class, it’s

important to be able to save and access the videos, audio clips, and tutorials that teachers share

with one another.

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Leah Shaw
EDTC605
PLN

My content area is central to my PLN because a lot of the tools and resources provided in

school-wide professional development are not applicable to my classroom. Because the

classroom set up, behavior issues, and standards are specific to my content area, I need to have a

network of people who have the same challenges.

This is the first time that I’ve created a PLN. I thought of all the ways that I connect with

people, personally and professionally, and discovered that I use the internet for professional

connections more than I realized. I mostly use the internet for personal reasons, so I knew that

that aspect would be quick and easy to figure out. My academic connections are limited, because

I’m just getting back into being a student again.

I’ve discovered a few ways that I can improve my PLN. Mostly I view content and

occasionally I’ll answer a question or share a resource. However, to really make my PLN work

for me, I believe I need to be more proactive in asking questions and generating topics to discuss.

Warlick (2009) mentioned Twitter numerous times, of which I have no account. The usage of

hashtags to connect to content quickly would be of great use to me. I may consider opening an

account. However, Warlick (2009) also cautioned against adding too many connections and

trying to keep up with them too often, as it can be overwhelming.

Because I’ve moved from the suburbs to a very rural location, my connections are broad

and vary widely. My previous connections focus on areas like having competitive choirs, best

practices in teaching music, multiculturalism, technology, etc. My newer connections reflect the

challenges of living in a low-income, rural area: building a music program, fundraising,

technology gaps, sharing music and resources rather than having to purchase new, etc. Also, my

professional life as a musician varies and I have different connections for performing, wedding

venues, teaching in a classroom, teaching private lessons in voice and piano, early childhood

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Leah Shaw
EDTC605
PLN

music, songwriting, contemporary Christian music, etc. It can be overwhelming at times and I’ve

learned to unsubscribe from groups and pages that I’m less interested in.

When creating a PLN with students I’d suggest for them to start with what they already

use. If they have a Facebook page, join an appropriate group. If they use Twitter, jump on board

a hashtag to explore. After they have a substantial PLN, I’d encourage them to review which

connections they use regularly and to cut out the ones that aren’t relevant anymore.

Below is the infographic for my PLN. This was a fun project to see how I connect, who I

connect with, the content that I’m interested in, and with what frequency I’m connecting. I hope

to add to it and refine it as my professional path develops.

Leah Shaw’s PLN

My personal tech My professional tech My academic tech


connections connections connections

Facebook, Gmail, text Skype, Facebook groups,


TED talks, Edutopia,
messages, phone, LinkedIn, TeacherTube,
Pinterest
Pinterest, tumblr YouTube

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Leah Shaw
EDTC605
PLN

REFERENCES

Warlick, D. (2009). Grow your personal learning network. Learning and Leading with

Technology; p. 12-16.

Whitby, T. (2013). How do I get a PLN? Edutopia. Retrieved from

https://www.edutopia.org/blog/how-do-i-get-a-pln-tom-whitby

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